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'He is a great player. What Cristiano Ronaldo has done in the last 10 years should remembered for life.

'Neymar has been there for three or four years. Ronaldo for 10 years. It is all still ahead of Neymar.

'Cristiano will win the Ballon d'Or again this year. With the year he has had, with the Champions League and the Euros, it is certain.'

The Bernabeu star would go on to claim the Euro 2016 crown in France with Portugal

Should Ronaldo claim world football's top individual prize for a fourth time it will be in a slightly different guise. France Football and FIFA recently ended their joint partnership for the award with Ballon d'Or voting returning to a select group of international journalists - leaving out the input of national team captains and coaches.

The shortlist of finalists will also grow from 23 to 30 names, and the three finalists will no longer be revealed before the award is presented.

The winner will now be revealed before the close of the calendar year. Previously, the Ballon d'Or was handed out at an awards ceremony in January.

Ronaldo has won three Ballon d'Or prizes, the most recent (pictured) came back in 2014